Filament tensioning device



Aug 13, 1940.

E. G. GUENTHER ET AL 2,211,328

FILAMENT TENSIONING DEVICE Filed Dec. 9, 195a fofyar 6; @uemher .11, Y: A FORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,211,328 FILAMENT TENSIONING DEVICE Edgar G. Guenther, Joel B. Stevens, and William J. Stolp, Kingsport, Tenn., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 9, 1938, Serial No. 244,820

6 Claims.

The present invention relates to the art of winding, and more particularly to a tension control device for the filament being wound.

One object of the invention is the provision of a device for maintaining a constant tension on a filament or thread irrespective of the relative speeds of the feeding and wind-up devices.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a device which accurately and automatically compensates for variations in the speeds of a filament feed and filament windup.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a tensioning device which is rugged and compact, and which comprises comparatively few and simple parts which are relatively inexpensive to manufacture, simple in construction, and easy to operate.

Yet another object of the invention is the provision of such a device which is positive in its action, and highly effective in use.

To these and other ends, the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows one embodiment of a filament tensioning device constructed in accordance with the present invention, as applied to filament feed and windup mechanisms which are driven at different lineal speeds. The tension device is shown in sections so as to illustrate more clearly the arrangement of the various parts thereof; and

Fig. 2 shows, partly in section, a modified form of filament tension device constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Similar reference numerals throughout the various views indicate the same parts.

In the spinning, winding, and redrawing of filaments, yarns or threads, there often exists a condition in which, due to various well-known causes, a difference in the filament tension exists over certain periods of time. An example of such a condition is when the filament is delivered from a source of constant velocity to a wind-up device which necessitates that the filament be taken up at a varying velocity. Such a device may comprise broadly a constant speed feed roller II which draws a filament l2 from a spinning cabinet l3, or other suitable source of supply, at a uniform rate, and feeds the filament to a cone winding device I4. In order to keep the wind-up reasonably constant, the winding device I4 is preferably driven by surface contact with a drum l5 which is rotated at constant speed from a suitable source of power, not shown. The filament is wound on the cone by means of a grooved roller l6, all of which is well known to those in the art. With such a cone winding device, the speed of the take-up is determined mainly by the rotational speed of the cone, and the diameter of the cone at the point at which the filament winds thereon. The lineal speed at various points along the cone varies in proportion to the diameter at such point, the rotational speed of the cone remaining constant, thereby causing increases or decreases in the acceleration of the yarn. When the acceleration is positive, as when the filament winds from the small end of the cone to the large end, a tension is built up in the filament. When, however, the filament winds from the large end to the small end, there is a decrease in tension.

Various other factors, such as velocity of the traverse and various mechanical characteristics of the winding device may also bring in velocity factors that result in acceleration of the filament being wound on the cone. In order to overcome, these difliculties, the present invention provides a flexible takeup which automatically compensates for slight differences in the relative speeds of the feed and takeup of the filament as would be caused, for example, by traversing the filament along the cone winding device It.

The tension control device comprises, in the preferred embodiment, a whorl formed with an axially extending cylindrical hole 2|, and provided with a crowned periphery 22 adapted to receive a power belt 23 which is connected to a suitable source of power, not shown. The lower cylindrical end 24 of the whorl is supported in a ball bearing 25 positioned in a recessZB of the machine frame 21, all as shown in Fig. 1, A small flange 52 on the lower end of the whorl engages the upper face of the bearing 25 to position the portion 24 therein. The upper end ofthe whorl is provided with a large marginal flange 28 which carries an axially extending thread driving pin 29.

The filament I2 is fed to the whorl 20 from the spinning cabinet l3, over a thread guide 30 to the drive wheel ll, then to a second thread guide 3| positioned above and substantially on the axis of the whorl, and finally to a traveler 32 movable along an annular ring 33, T-shaped in cross section, supported by a portion 34 of the machine frame, as shown in Fig. 1. From. the traveler, the filament passes over a U-shaped guide 35 which extends across the top of the opening 2| and has the end 38 thereof embedded in the top of the whorl 20, as best shown in Fig. 2. The guide 34 directs the filament downward through the opening 2| to a thread guide 31 positioned below the whorl 20 and substantially on the axis thereof. The filament is threaded through guide 3! to another guide 38 from which it passes to the.grooved traversing roller IS, all as clearly shown in-Fig. l. The thread guides 3-0, 3|, 31, 38 are all stationary as indicated.

When winding is started, the whorl 20 is rotated by means of the belt 23 to bring the driving pin 29 into driving engagement with the filament I2 to move the traveler 32 along the ring 33. This movement balloons out the portion of the filament between the traveler and the upper thread guide 3|, as shown at 40, Fig. 1. Any difference in tension on the winding filament will cause the balloon 40' to contract or expand, as shown in the dotted and broken lines 42 and 4| respectively Fig. 1. This contraction or expansion of the filament, varies the effective length of the filament in the balloon, and it is this difference in effective length of the filament in the balloon that counteracts and compensates for the difference in acceleration or de-acceleration of the filament in winding. It is to be understood that the filament may be passed through the whorl in either direction.

In the specific embodiment shown, the filament I2 is fed by the feed roll I I, rotating at constant speed, to the cone windup I4 which has a varying diameter from end to end, as is apparent. As the filament winds from the larger end 45 to the smaller end 46 of the cone Hi there is a decrease in the velocity of wind-up, and consequently a decrease in the tension of the filament. This decrease in tension allows the balloon 40 to expand, as shown at 42, thereby taking care and compensating for the decreased velocity. On the other hand, when the filament winds from the end 46 to the end 45, acceleration of the velocity takes place and thus increases the tension in the filament and causes the balloon to contract, as shown at 4|, Fig. 1.

Fig. 2 shows a modified arrangement in which the traveler 32 and ring 33 are omitted. In this case, the thread driving pin 29 is replaced by a pin 50 secured to and projecting upwardly from the whorl 20 formed with an eye 5i through which the filament l2 must be threaded. This modified arrangement would result in a lower tension in the filament than is possible with the ring and traveler method. The balloon 40, however, is still able to perform its function of expanding and contracting to compensate for variations in the rate of speed of the filament to the winding device.

The above described device may also be applied to winding methods wherein the feed to the device is not of constant velocity. The advantage of this device in such an application is to even and make more uniform the tension of the yarn feeding to the device. Such an application is in the usual type of copping machines commonly used in the industry. On these machines, the yarn is pulled directly from a delivery package over compensating devices and wound on a cop. The winding of the yarn on the cop does not proceed at a uniform velocity. Usual types of compensating devices consist of tensions of various sorts such as reciprocating springs, compensating arms, etc. The device embodied in the present application provides another means of accomplishing the purpose of these devices;

namely, of making the tension of the yarn feeding to the winder more constant.

While certain structural features have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive idea may be carried out in a number of other ways. This application is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to cover all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a thread winding apparatus, the combination with a thread supply and a thread takeup driven at different peripheral speeds the relation of which continually varies during the winding operation, of thread tension control means intermediate said supply and said take-up, said means comprising an independently driven member, a thread guide spaced from said member, and means on said member adapted to engage and drive said thread and cooperating with said guide to balloon said thread therebetween, said balloon varying in size to control the ten sion of said thread.

2. In a thread winding apparatus, the com bination with a thread supply and a thread takeup driven at different velocities, of thread tension control means intermediate said supply and said take-up, said means comprising a whorl, means for driving said whorl, a thread guide spaced above said whorl and on the axis thereof, and a thread driving pin on said whorl arranged to engage and drive said thread and cooperating with said guide to balloon said thread above said whorl, said balloon varying in size in proportion to said velocities to control the tension on said thread.

3. In a thread winding apparatus, the combination with a thread supply and a thread takeup driven at different velocities, of a hollow whorl positioned between said supply and said take-up, means for driving said whorl, a thread guide positioned above said whorl and on the axis thereof, means for guiding said thread through said whorl, and a thread driving pin mounted on and driven by said whorl, said pin cooperating with said guide to form said thread into a balloon which varies in size to control the tension of said thread.

4. In a thread winding apparatus, the combination with a thread supply and a thread takeup driven at different velocities, of a hollow whorl positioned between said supply and said take-up, means for driving said whorl, means for guiding said thread through said whorl and along the axis of revolution thereof, and a driving pin mounted on the periphery of said whorl and arranged to engage said thread to drive the latter, said pin cooperating with said thread guide to balloon said thread between said pin and said thread guide.

5. In a thread winding apparatus, the combination with a thread supply and a thread takeup driven at different velocities, of a hollow cylindrical whorl positioned between said supply and said take-up, means for driving said whorl, a peripheral fiange on one end of said whorl, a ring adjacent and concentric with said flange, a support for said ring, a traveler mounted on said ring and movable there along .by said thread, a thread guide positioned above said whorl and on the axis thereof, and a thread driving pin mounted on said fiange and projecting axially from said whorl to engage said thread to drive the latter and said traveler to form a tension compensating loop between said traveler and said thread guide.

6. In a thread winding apparatus, the combination with a thread supply and a thread takeup driven at different velocities, of a hollow whorl positioned between said supply and said take-up, means for driving said whorl, a thread guide positioned adjacent said whorl and substantially on the axis thereof to guide said thread through said whorl and along said axis a thread guide on said whorl cooperating with said first guide, a marginal peripheral flange on said whorl, a ring positioned adjacent and concentric with said flange, a support for said ring, a traveler mounted on said ring and movable there along by the thread passing through said whorl, a thread guide positioned a substantial distance above said whorl and on the axis thereof, and a thread driving pin mounted on said flange adjacent the periphery thereof and projecting axially of said whorl to engage and drive said thread and said traveler to balloon said thread into a tension compensating loop between said traveler and said last mentioned guide.

EDGAR G. GUENTHER. JOEL B. STEVENS. WILLIAM J. STOLR. 

